Livio

Trained by W. P. Mullins at Muine Bheag in County Carlow, Livio comes from one of Ireland's most productive yards. Mullins sent out 215 winners this season alone, so Livio is part of a machine that knows how to get horses to the track ready to run. The trainer sees him as a horse who thrives on soft, muddy ground — he won that Cork race on ground that would suit a stayer — and believes he will come into his own as he stretches out over longer distances rather than relying on early speed. That kind of assessment matters: it suggests the team has a plan for him, and that future opportunities will be chosen to play to his strengths. Livio won that opening race in France before joining the yard, another hint that he has ability worth building on. He remains active and in regular racing, and with Mullins' resources behind him, he is a horse worth watching for the next time the ground turns soft or heavy.